Anti-Corruption and Anti-Fraud Policies in South African Universities

Abstract

The escalation of corruption and fraud within South Africa, as accentuated by revelations from the Zondo commission, point out a pervasive governance deficit extending beyond the public sector into the private domain. Media reports have drawn attention to concerns regarding corruption and fraud within South African universities, prompting an inquiry into the mechanisms available within higher education for managing such malpractices. Thus, this study seeks to investigate the anti-corruption and anti-fraud policies and initiatives implemented by South African universities. Employing a qualitative research methodology, the study assessed policies from 10 South African public universities and conducted interviews with university practitioners. The findings revealed that Higher Education Institutions have well-established fraud prevention processes in place, albeit with certain instances exceeding customary norms. However, the role of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) in supporting universities with policy frameworks for combating corruption remained ambiguous. Additionally, communication regarding the newly proposed National Anti-Corruption Strategy to universities was found to be lacking.